  
Gearing Up for Session!
Today marked an important milestone as the deadline for Oregon's 90 state lawmakers to file their allotted two legislative concepts, where they then become bills! Rep. Cate and I have been fine tuning our two concepts with Legislative Counsel after speaking with numerous stakeholders, and we are finally able to share these agenda items we'll be shepherding through the legislative process in February and early March. While neither has officially been assigned a bill number just yet (this is the reason for the lack of helpful links!), the draft language is final for both bills and will not change unless we "drop" an amendment at some point between now and the end of session.
Our first "bill" is technically a memorial rather than a traditional policy bill, but nonetheless has major significance for thousands of Oregonians in areas impacted by wildfires. The resolution urges Congress to extend the federal tax exemption on wildfire-related settlements (this exemption expired at the end of 2025). There are currently several bills in Washington D.C. to extend this exemption until either 2033 or permanently, but both have been stalled for some time, meaning any settlement payments that are made out to survivors will be taxed at the federal level (a state exemption was passed in 2024), and less money will end up going towards actual recovery.
Our other proposal will be a House bill to help protect sellers from being on the hook for unpaid parking tickets racked up by the new owner who has not transferred the title of their vehicle--if the seller had already sold the vehicle and properly submitted a notice of sale to the DMV. This idea came about from a real-life constituent issue in 2025, when a Lebanon resident sold a car to someone who then accumulated parking tickets in Tillamook County, more than two hours away. Long story short, our constituent had to fight these tickets in a court setting. Our bill only requires a standard that virtually every other municipality that issues parking tickets accepts as a release of liability for sellers.
With dozens of lawmakers from both parties and chambers graciously signing on to our two bills before they even become "bills", we have high spirits leading into next month's session. We look forward to switching to weekly updates once things get rolling!
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office welcomed Tristan Pindell as its newest Patrol Deputy this week, and we're excited to join them in welcoming him! Deputy Pindell joins the office after previously serving with the Stayton Police Department, where he gained valuable experience in law enforcement.
The Sheriff’s Office is excited to add his skills and background to the team and looks forward to the positive impact he will have serving communities throughout Linn County. Welcome aboard, Deputy Pindell!
 Do you know of anyone in House District 11 who deserves to be acknowledged? Send us your nominations at Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov
Free Trees for Kids at the Sweet Home Public Library
Sweet Home Public Library is teaming up with Neighborhood Forest to celebrate Earth Day by giving local kids a free tree sapling to take home and plant this spring! Families can sign up now through March 15th to reserve a tree, which will be available for pickup at the library during Earth Day Week (April 22nd). There are three easy ways to get involved: register a child for a free tree, purchase a tree if you don’t have a child (Buy One, Fund One), or help sponsor trees for local kids—just $5 puts a tree in a child’s hands! Learn more and sign up here: https://www.neighborhoodforest.org/registration-services/?school=156576
Soup-er Supper Benefit Event in Jefferson January 24th
The Jefferson Historical Society invites you to the Jefferson Community Center Saturday, January 24th for a Soup-er Supper fundraiser! Tickets are just $10, so come enjoy a dessert and silent auction with proceeds benefitting the Center, which does so much important work for the community.
 Invoice Scam Alert in Sweet Home
The City of Sweet Home is warning residents and businesses about fraudulent invoices that are circulating and falsely appear to come from the city. These fake invoices may include the city seal and the names of current city employees, but they are not legitimate. If you receive an invoice that seems suspicious or unexpected, don’t pay it—call to verify before taking action. City staff can confirm whether an invoice is authentic during normal business hours at (541) 367-5128.
Gov. Tina Kotek calls for repeal of controversial transportation package she championed
The Oregonian/OregonLive
Gov. Tina Kotek asked lawmakers Wednesday to repeal the controversial transportation funding package they passed along party lines with her support last fall. Her announcement, which she made at the Oregon Transportation Forum’s annual meeting, comes weeks after a Republican-led group challenging the tax hikes in the Democratic package submitted enough signatures to delay the taxes until voters could decide on the matter in November. Repealing the law would mark a major blow to Kotek and top Democrats, who spent much of last year attempting to hash out a proposal to secure more funding for the state transportation agency and trying to gather enough votes within their own party to approve such a plan. But it would also allow Kotek to carry out her reelection campaign this year without the added political risk of a ballot fight targeting a tax hike she supported.
Repeal of transportation bill would kill ODOT accountability measures
Statesman Journal
Gov. Tina Kotek's Jan. 7 call for lawmakers to repeal the $4.3 billion transportation package she championed would kill accountability measures at the Oregon Department of Transportation, though some lawmakers insist they are still a priority. Kotek's bill, House Bill 3991, passed in a special session she called after lawmakers failed to pass a transportation package in the regular 2025 session. It went into effect Dec. 31. Signature collection to refer some of the bill's cost increases to voters began almost immediately after Kotek signed the bill, and it qualified for the ballot in late December. A repeal would effectively make a vote on the referendum moot.
Facing $25M request, Oregon lawmakers again float delaying historic campaign finance law
The Oregonian/OregonLive
Multiple Oregon lawmakers of both parties have expressed support for delaying implementation of the state’s historic law that will limit political contributions and increase the transparency of spending in Oregon politics.
The Secretary of State’s Office has less than a year to stand up some of the key provisions of the law, which legislators passed in 2024 but haven’t revisited since despite promising to make technical fixes. Giving the agency more time, some lawmakers say, would help the state avoid a disastrous rollout of a revitalized system to limit, monitor and track political contributions.
Oregon legislators prepare for 2026 short session with budget focus
KPTV
Oregon legislators returned to Salem for three days of committee meetings to prepare for the 2026 short legislative session, which begins Feb. 2.
The main goal of the 2026 session is to rebalance Oregon’s budget after state officials say federal cuts created a $900 million funding gap.
Oregon’s classroom hours among lowest in nation, experts tell lawmakers
The Oregonian
Oregon students spend less time in class than their peers in almost any other state and research demonstrates that has a direct impact on their overall academic performance, a national expert told a panel of lawmakers Tuesday. “Based on a broad body of rigorous research, time in school is a fundamental resource for educational success,” said Matthew Kraft, a professor of education and economics at Brown University. “The findings [are] overwhelmingly clear that on average, more instructional time improves student learning outcomes, including student performance on state standardized tests.”…
Facing Trump administration lawsuit, Oregon will pare back voter rolls to remove voters with out-of-date registrations
The Oregonian/OregonLive
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read announced late Friday he will pare back Oregon’s voter rolls to exclude some people who have moved and not updated their address and who therefore have not been sent ballots or voted in years.
He did so as a court hearing nears on Trump administration efforts to force Read and his elections division to better explain how they ensure accuracy of the state’s voter rolls – and turn over highly personal information about every registered Oregon voter.
Join Linn Co. Community Emergency Response Team!
Linn County residents are invited to step up and make a real difference by joining the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), sponsored by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. CERT volunteers help their neighbors when it matters most, which includes supporting emergency operations, sharing preparedness information, and strengthening community resilience. The program offers free training, hands-on skills, and meaningful opportunities to serve.
Ready to get involved? Learn more and apply at https://buff.ly/wD04Smh. Questions can be directed to Meghan Becker at mbecker@linnsheriff.org or Shari Barrett at cert.shari@hotmail.com.
Kicking Off the New Year!
Gas Tax & Registration Hikes Put on Hold
Transportation Taxes and What Comes Next
Governor Finally Signs Her Tax Bill into Law
Green Peter Dam Drawdown Update
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